Prayers of the People | June 29

During this season of Pentecost, we are once again reminded of this feast of the mysterious movement of God. Each year, it is an invitation and gentle reminder to be attentive once more to God’s presence in our lives. Come Holy Spirit, who makes a home in us. Draw us to the treasure of your dwelling. In Matthew’s gospel, an extension of this divine indwelling suggests we are given the promise of goodness in welcoming others: the prophet, the righteous, the ordinary, in gracious hospitality. May we be reminded of your faithfulness in tonight’s Abraham story – where he was hovering between both being tested and realizing how you provide.

Come Holy Spirit. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

At this time of year as schools are closing, we pray that children remain happy and safe; as graduations and proms are taking place, we pray for good choices at these events and wise decisions in making plans for the next stage of life. Here at st. Benedict’s table, as we observe the slower pace of summer, may we use this time to recharge ourselves, to experience greater self-awareness, and anticipate and contemplate our commitments for the fall. For those lives recently marked by a new chapter in their Christian journeys, we remember Helen, Allison, and Jase, as well as those among us travelling abroad this summer. For more local excursions and travel, may we find you in the garden, at the beach, on the hammock, in the wilderness, at Folk Fest, at the cottage, at the airport, downtown – wherever our steps take us – let us find you there. Reveal to us the inner journey of your love. Please protect us from flooding and discouragement during this current deluge of rain and wind.

Come Holy Spirit. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

During this season of growth, planting, and changing landscapes, help us to find creative ways of reciprocity in our global village, whatever that village looks like – as vast as the continent, or as intimate as the street we live on – whether Haiti, or locally at Agape Table or projects in the North End. Make us keen to give and take, to hold close and set free, to pay forward the benevolence in our lives to others. Help us to keep planting seeds of hope, seeds of recovery, seeds of transformation, seeds of love. Father, our prayers are a reflection of our lives guided by your spirit and not so much an inventory of needs or a wish list. We appeal to your grace and divine plan in the lives of the global, national, and local communities we represent and intercede for.

Come Holy Spirit. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Beyond our borders, we pray for unsettled regions of Iraq, Syria, and Israel – that egos and politics could be replaced by greater balance of power and less rigid ideologies. We continue to pray for victims of fire, flood, unstable weather patterns, impaired and distracted drivers, and intentional or random acts of violence. We ask for ongoing healing of the City of Moncton. As we are about to recognize our National Holiday on Tuesday, thank you for this wonderful country – a precious oasis, a safe refuge, a tolerate land. We enjoy vast open expanses with a medley of waterways, mountains, and prairies; diversity of cultures and regions; quaint villages and modern cities; and freedom to love, to be educated and to worship. O Canada, we do stand on guard for you. Come Holy Spirit, who is our light. Shine among the shadows within.

Come Holy Spirit. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We remember those among us or known to us needing prayers at this time. Please take this opportunity to name aloud or in your hearts those in need. We pray for your healing power to those who are sick, your comforting touch to those who mourn, and your endless commitment to empower those afflicted with any dis-ease of body, mind or spirit. For those who await organ donation, disease tests, therapies and cures, and whose lives are marked with the daily stigma of mental illness, we ask your sweet and generous love and care. As we move into the time of our service when the table is set, thank you for the circle of sacrament – for the ongoing magnitude of your body and blood to fill and fulfill us, to enable us to do more than we can ask or imagine, to be what you want us to be in the world. May we live simply, love abundantly, care deeply and speak kindly. God Above Us; God Beside Us; God Beneath Us; The Beginning, The Breathe, The End. Come Holy Spirit.